Camille is a twentysomething working in the LGBT nonprofit industry. She runs an LGBT news blog at gaywrites.org.
Colorado lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples, a historic move that follows years of debate over LGBT rights in the state. The bill passed in both the Senate and the House, and Gov. John Hickenlooper has said he’ll sign the measure into law. It’s expected to take effect May 1st. A similar bill died last year in the then-Republican-controlled House, but Colorado Democrats made LGBT rights a priority when they regained control of the House in November. Read more
Human rights groups in Kentucky are fighting a proposed bill that would allow people to sidestep anti-discrimination laws if they could justify their actions with “sincerely held religious beliefs.” House Bill 279, sponsored by conservative Democrat Rep. Bob Damron and recently passed in the State Senate, would strengthen a person’s ability to “ignore state regulations or laws that contradict his or her ‘sincerely held’ religious beliefs.” Gay rights groups say this could legalize discrimination against LGBT people on the basis of certain religious beliefs that maintain homosexuality is wrong: Read more
A florist in Richland, Washington says she won’t provide flowers for a gay customer’s wedding because of her relationship with Jesus: Rob Ingersoll has been a customer at Arlene’s Flowers for nine years. When he and his partner Curt got engaged recently, he knew he’d ask Barronelle Stuzman, their favorite florist and the owner of Arlene’s, to prepare the flowers for the wedding. He wasn’t ready for her to shoot him down: Read more
